Saturday, August 9, 2014

Turning Away From the Lies

Eugene Peterson, in Perseverance, a Christian Basics Bible study, writes:"The first step toward God is a step away from the lies of the world. It is a renunciation of the lies we have been told about ourselves and our neighbors and our universe. Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own."Eugene Peterson, who, by the way, also wrote a paraphrase of the Bible called The Message. As I have said on this blog before, The Message is not a Bible, although it is marketed as a Bible. Please do not read The Message as a Bible. I do not mind quoting Peterson as long as I make it clear that I do not endorse The Message as a Bible). "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing." 1 Timothy 6:3-4"...Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge," 1 Timothy 6:20b"always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7